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ardeegee · 04-15-2010, 05:03 PM

Speaking of science in the USA, I thought I'd make a thread related to the big fireball/bolide seen over the US last night:

This looks like a very good candidate for having rocks on the ground. Some recent falls have been helped to be pinpointed by Doppler radar images-- which can pick up falling debris as well is it can pick up rain, hail, snow, or sleet, and this one has a Doppler hit:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display...50881&source=0

http://addins.wrex.com/blogs/weather...ppler_348a.gif

Only large meteoroids reach the ground with any trace of their cosmic velocity-- when the fireball in that video faded away, it was still miles above the ground, only having slowed to a standstill and stopped ablating. Any remaining pieces spend minutes more in a "dark fall" at the mere few hundred miles per hour of the terminal velocity of any dropped object. The remains (if there are remains) will be found (if they are found) miles downwind from where the last glow was seen above, in a wind-influenced ellipse known as a strewnfield.

As I type, there are likely meteorite researchers, dealers, and collectors from around the country and around the world heading towards Livingston, WI to comb the ground.

BTW, the most recent fall that arrived with cosmic velocity intact-- and caused a crater-- was Carancas and there is still scientific debate over just what conditions allowed for the very unusual nature of the event.

Other interesting recent meteorite falls include West, TX:

http://www.rocksfromspace.org/WTM.html

and Buzzard Coulee, Canada:

http://www.aerolite.org/expeditions/bc/01.htm

And, well-- these.

Think that you've found a meteorite? Most likely, you haven't.

04-15-2010, 05:03 PM	#1
ardeegee Maratus speciosus butt Posts: 3,292 Karma: 1162698 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-350	Meteor! Speaking of science in the USA, I thought I'd make a thread related to the big fireball/bolide seen over the US last night: This looks like a very good candidate for having rocks on the ground. Some recent falls have been helped to be pinpointed by Doppler radar images-- which can pick up falling debris as well is it can pick up rain, hail, snow, or sleet, and this one has a Doppler hit: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display...50881&source=0 http://addins.wrex.com/blogs/weather...ppler_348a.gif Only large meteoroids reach the ground with any trace of their cosmic velocity-- when the fireball in that video faded away, it was still miles above the ground, only having slowed to a standstill and stopped ablating. Any remaining pieces spend minutes more in a "dark fall" at the mere few hundred miles per hour of the terminal velocity of any dropped object. The remains (if there are remains) will be found (if they are found) miles downwind from where the last glow was seen above, in a wind-influenced ellipse known as a strewnfield. As I type, there are likely meteorite researchers, dealers, and collectors from around the country and around the world heading towards Livingston, WI to comb the ground. BTW, the most recent fall that arrived with cosmic velocity intact-- and caused a crater-- was Carancas and there is still scientific debate over just what conditions allowed for the very unusual nature of the event. Other interesting recent meteorite falls include West, TX: http://www.rocksfromspace.org/WTM.html and Buzzard Coulee, Canada: http://www.aerolite.org/expeditions/bc/01.htm And, well-- these. Think that you've found a meteorite? Most likely, you haven't.